Let’s talk frankly about STIs

More than 3 million people a year are infected with chlamydia each year and it’s the most common STI for people under 25.

In porn, people love to spread the false rumor that we get STIs far less often than our civilian counterparts. The sad truth is, that isn’t the case. It’s just because we get tested every 14 to 30 days, we know our status and as such, can get it taken care of.

Testing is not a method of prevention. Testing can’t stop you from getting or passing on an STI, it can only tell you that you have one in the first place.

But what about the person who gave you that STI? Shouldn’t you notify the people you’ve had sex with recently to let them know you popped positive?

Did you know that through the current testing system, if a performer tests positive for a STI they are sent to a doctor over the phone to get a prescription to cure them of said infection, without ever even having seen the actual doctor to confirm the test wasn’t a false positive, nor do they request a sexual history to notify your past partners so that if they too are infected, they can also get tested.

You didn’t get that STI on your own. You had to get it from someone. So why would the current testing system not want to contact your past sexual partners like they do at the health clinic, to try and stop the transmission before the person who gave it to you, doesn’t give it to someone else?

If you are unlucky enough to catch an STI, you would do the right thing and tell your past sexual partners.

If you don’t want to do it directly, you can do so anonymously through the STD Check website. Just enter their phone # or email and then click send. They will notify your partner that they need to get tested as soon as possible.

Why does the current testing system not offer this service?

Why does our current system of testing not require you to notify your past sexual partners?

Why does our current system charge you $50 to speak with a doctor over the phone and not see them in person?

A female performer I know last month tested positive for chlamydia. The odd thing was, she hadn’t been with anyone in months. Instead of going through the telephone visit with the doctor, as the testing center suggested, she went to a normal doctor that only charged her $40 for the visit and unlike the phone consultation she got an actual exam.

Turns out she didn’t have chlamydia at all. Her test was a false positive.

But what if she really did have chlamydia? The fact that nobody even suggested she notify her past sexual partners bothers me beyond words. How can we work to prevent STIs if we aren’t even telling someone they just had sex with someone who has them?

Post navigation

One Reply to “Let’s talk frankly about STIs”

Inadequate testing procedures has the highest probability of bringing over regulation to the adult industry. It needs more comprehensive testing including herpes II, probably HPV, antibody HIV testing(in addition to viral load testing currently being done), and oral swabbing(for oral STI infections like oral gonorrhea and others currently being ignored) , automatic test updating/sharing/disclosure based on scene parings and previous test sharing, lower pricing, and more frequent tests.

People new to the industry need to understand that full panel or gold testing does not protect them from the things not being tested above, and that there are delay’s periods for detection.

These comments are regarding what’s happening in the United States, some places in Europe actually already have more comprehensive testing at lower costs and some places have less comprehensive testing. That being said, Annual comprehensive STD testing should be the norm for all American’s as contraction isn’t always limited to even just the sexually active. The industry does it better than civilians do for the most part, though neither is good enough. The industry needs to step up and regulate themselves better before the government does it for them and organizations like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation should be focusing on the bigger higher risk pool of seldom tested and “never tested” Americans and should be working to make regular STD testing the norm for everyone.